Not calling myself stupid, writing over the summer, and labels.

At first I thought my inability to finish pieces of writing that I start was just stupid. Now I realize that it's actually irresponsible. I do not need to apply another negative adjective to myself. I have been applying negative adjectives to myself.

I may actually be writing All the Madmen over the summer. Now that I've been at an emotional low for a while - by which I mean that my emotional capacities are low, not that I'm feeling down - I think I can effectively write it. Also, I really love some of the characters in that story, and I can describe why they are like me and why they are stupid. This is a good thing. I can't write about a character until I am capable of making fun of them. Or at least I shouldn't write about a character until I am capable of making fun of them.

I know that nobody ever comments on these blog posts, but if anyone is reading them, I have some questions. I have had some conversations with people in which I was using various "labels" (relatively rigid descriptions or terms that are correct when applied to some people and can be extremely helpful when discussing general patterns in human behavior and traits but also come with a series of further assumptions and exclude some possibilities of other traits co-existing). Some of the things I was describing were sexual/romantic orientation (specifically "asexual" and "aromantic"), mental disorders or situations, and personality types. All of these constitute as labels in some way, and some of them could be considered rigid, but they may also be necessary in understanding people.

So if anyone is actually reading this, what do you think? Does it help to describe people in these ways? (Especially with personality types; I'm honestly not sure if it's a case of removing people's individuality or a helpful tool for understanding individuals.) Does it just put people in rigid little boxes? Should people be given such a label if they don't want it? Is it ever necessary? Help me out, guys. Some of this comes up in All the Madmen, actually, and if I don't have a position on the matter while I'm writing this (which I probably won't), I'm just going to express a bunch of conflicting views in a way that makes sense (which is probably the best).